Fixing two pet peeves on the Ford Taurus

[DuckRyder]

It probably takes a speed nut that looks more like this:

Loading…

www.amazon.com

(not necessary that exact one though)

You can probably find these in a box AUTO parts store like Autozone, Advance, OReily in the body section on a spinning tree with push pins and the like.

 

[earlyre]

little bit of a clearup.... OP says it's a 3.0l Vulcan, then talks about the FL820s
someone later says something along the lines of "those early Duratec motors" which the vulcan is not.
others steer the OP towards the fl400s, which is the correct filter for a Vulcan.

what you have there is a 4th Gen Taurus. supposed to be the final gen, when ford went to their asinine name change scheme (all Fords have to start with an "F", except the Mustang, all Mercury's have to start with an "M", and Lincolns started going to MK*)*

4th Gens could be had with either the 3.0l Vulcan, or the 3.0l Duratec
Vulcan Takes the FL400s (fram3600 equiv) 3/4-16 threads
Duratec takes the FL820s m.22(?) threads.

they look Different enough, but having a bit of an issue finding decent pics at the moment...
second easiest way to tell, if you See DOHC called out anywhere, it's the Duratec.
Vulcan is a 2 valve per Cyl, Pushrod engine.

* 2005 was supposed to be the Final Model year for that body, and the Taurus Name, being replaced by the totally new Volvo platform based Five Hundred in 2006.( Duratech 3.0l, and Mostly a ZF CVT, but some had ASIN 6 speeds)
they caved to pressure from rental fleets, and continued making the 4th Gen Taurus just for Fleets until the 2008 MY
2008 MY they mostly threw out the name scheme, changed the engine and Trans (to the new 3.5 Cyclone, and 6F35) and reverted the Five Hundred back to the Taurus for the 2008-9 MY.
then redesign of the body for the 2010 MY (6th Gen) that ended up being the Final Gen Taurus for the US.

China got a 7th Gen, which was a Stretched Fusion. we got that Body here as the Lincoln Continental starting in 2017....

 

[JHZR2]

It probably takes a speed nut that looks more like this:

Loading…

www.amazon.com

(not necessary that exact one though)

You can probably find these in a box AUTO parts store like Autozone, Advance, OReily in the body section on a spinning tree with push pins and the like.

Those look good, but it’s Amazon and OP doesn’t need that many or to pay $15 or whatever for them.

Ditto for dealer speed nuts that are probably $3 each!

But these items are the right idea.

Looks like OP went to Home Depot based upon the bags the fasteners came in. Nothing wrong with those especially for the application at hand. A million ways to skin this cat, A-R behaviors aside.

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

And a song by Hot Chocolate. Something about "I believe in miracles."

Oh.. oh..

@JHZR2 was right (again) that was pretty really simple, eh.

Now let's go check out filter cutters and get some gas in the 3.0 and just have a Happy New Year.

I feel some 100% random pics coming.

The other one was too wide...

Happy New Year.

 

[JHZR2]

View attachment 133360
And a song by Hot Chocolate. Something about "I believe in miracles."

Oh.. oh..

View attachment 133361 View attachment 133362 View attachment 133363

@JHZR2 was right (again) that was pretty really simple, eh.

Now let's go check out filter cutters and get some gas in the 3.0 and just have a Happy New Year.

I feel some 100% random pics coming.

The other one was too wide...

Happy New Year.

Nice job. Execute and take in the advice tha you get here. Read it all. Consider it all. Make informed decisions.

Turn over a new leaf for 2023 - this is a good start!

Now that you know how it attaches I’d actually consider removing it and. Washing it out with soap. Depends upon how much junk is stuck in there.

IIRC someone said the cap is wrong, so when the dealers open I’d get that.

If you’re changing coolant, do it all, properly, don’t just mix some other stuff in with it.

 

[D60]

What's wrong with the zip ties? I'm rocking zip ties on quite a few things on my vehicles. Trans cooler, ps cooler, coolant bottle. I even have ratchet straps holding down the trans in my truck!

User name checks out.

JUST KIDDING!

Seriously, I'll white trash (sure it's a verb!) with the best of them and I'm happy to use quality T&B zip ties to hold wiring harnesses, vac lines, etc.....but for hard parts and esp those which can have some weight to them (is washer fluid also roughly 8# per gal like water?) and a live load.....well, zip ties as a permanent fix exceed even my white trash quotient-- so that's cause for concern

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

User name checks out.

JUST KIDDING!

Seriously, I'll white trash (sure it's a verb!) with the best of them and I'm happy to use quality T&B zip ties to hold wiring harnesses, vac lines, etc.....but for hard parts and esp those which can have some weight to them (is washer fluid also roughly 8# per gal like water?) and a live load.....well, zip ties as a permanent fix exceed even my white trash quotient-- so that's cause for concern

You're not doing it right unless you cut an access hole in the floor to get to the trans.

Looking for it now, dude cut an access hole in the floor of an Avalanche I think it was. SMA or something. Didnt want to go forward fixing it..




Another question. What kind of coolant did the 2004 Taurus with the Vulcan 3.0L V6 come with? Was it Ford DexOrange or green?

 

[D60]

You're not doing it right unless you cut an access hole in the floor to get to the trans.

Looking for it now, dude cut an access hole in the floor of an Avalanche I think it was. SMA or something. Didnt want to go forward fixing it..




Another question. What kind of coolant did the 2004 Taurus with the Vulcan 3.0L V6 come with? Was it Ford DexOrange or green?

TTBOMK Ford went HOAT circa '03, so G05 "Gold" or similar. I don't think they went OAT DexCool until ~2011

 

[OVERKILL]

TTBOMK Ford went HOAT circa '03, so G05 "Gold" or similar. I don't think they went OAT DexCool until ~2011

Yup, that's correct, it would be the yellow G05 stuff.

Also, some cascade, water, and some vigorous shaking should clean that bottle up.

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

Yup, that's correct, it would be the yellow G05 stuff.

Also, some cascade, water, and some vigorous shaking should clean that bottle up.

Cascade! I like it. I thought I didn't have the "updated style" of tank I have to check that out.

Now as to the G-05.. if that would be preferable to this. Only G-05 I know of is Zerex. That seems to be a different chemical formulation then than this

Or this

Or these (All the Prestone ones are the same, just a million different labels. Marketing trick. It works too)

Seems @97K15004WD probably has the specific Ford/GM one I was looking for LOL.

OK so. G-05 coolant. And a fuse. And either washing with Cascade, or getting the new "updated" tank and we're looking good.

Now. About some tape and J-B weld.. oh wait, this car doesnt need those 🤣🤣However. Speed Holes..

 

[OVERKILL]

Walmart has the correct Zerex G05 on their website if you don't want to darken the door of the Ford dealer:

Robot or human?

www.walmart.com

 

[JHZR2]

Walmart has the correct Zerex G05 on their website if you don't want to darken the door of the Ford dealer:

Robot or human?

www.walmart.com

Cant say I’ve ever seen it in store. AZ stocks it, as does Napa.

 

[OVERKILL]

Cant say I’ve ever seen it in store. AZ stocks it, as does Napa.

Back when we had our Expedition (so going back quite a few years now), they stocked it here locally. Sounds like there are a couple of options that stock it though, so that's good to hear.

 

[earlyre]

huh... apparently Valvoline Australia has a green g-05...

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

I just read from the product description that the G-05 is an HOAT.

This gives me cause for concern.

I don't think  any of my Prestone stuff is HOAT. IIt's probably mostly the IAT old school Ethylene Glycol stuff. I gave @97K15004WD right around 600lbs I would guesstimate a solid 550 and possibly more of my Antifreeze stash (still have about half remaining) and aside from SOME of the Extended Life 150,000 mile stuff (the yellowish/green, color not advertised on bottle.. says it mixes with anything) and maybe SOME specific POAT coolant that I've always been afraid to mix, because it has always been aaid doing so can eat head gaskets of coolants of different types.. MOST of what I have is straight up Autozone Universal Yellow (is yellow, says it is yellow, says it mixes with anything.) Followed by plain, old school Green EG coolant. Which I now wonder what cars you can actually use the old green EG in.

So now I'm questioning if I did anything wrong by starting a partial exchange of the Autozone Universal Yellow. It DOES say it mixes with anything.

There was a statement made.. "You cannot go by the color" some thread in Antifreeze subforum.

So then. Point of all this.. IF I find the Zerex G-05 (would look in Walmart first then look online, more than likely. A sure-fire way to not overpay) .. I would then arrange to have the system flushed, since while the coolant looks CLEANER now that I've done a partial exchange of about 3 quarts, twice I believe (some say partial drain and fills are fine) . https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/any-partial-coolant-drain-advocates.324279/ - what I'm doing is somewhere between Post #4 where @PandaBear says he drains and fills the overflow tank every 6 months or so, which is basically what I did twice in two weeks, and more than that.

Aside from possibly introducing a flush into the system and to keep doing that, if I'm on the wrong track with the Universal, I can stop. The system would need to be flushed before going full G-05. So now I will look for the system capacity of the G-05.

Apparently it holds 11.6 quarts so basicly 3 gallons. So I've replaced approximately 1/3 of it. Think any damage occurred?

 

[zzyzzx]

Those look good, but it’s Amazon and OP doesn’t need that many or to pay $15 or whatever for them.

Ditto for dealer speed nuts that are probably $3 each!

But these items are the right idea.

View attachment 133253
Looks like OP went to Home Depot based upon the bags the fasteners came in. Nothing wrong with those especially for the application at hand. A million ways to skin this cat, A-R behaviors aside.

I also bought these items at Lowes and/or Ace hardware (which seem to stock this type of thing around me better than Home Depot).

 

[D60]

I just read from the product description that the G-05 is an HOAT. {snip}

Ya don't say?? I feel like I specifically mentioned that in Post #48. What did someone say about OP not reading......??

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

Ya don't say?? I feel like I specifically mentioned that in Post #48. What did someone say about OP not reading......??

Yah.. you did.. mentioned "Ford went HOAT." Now, this may sound stupid, but, I read that and didn't put two and two together until talking with someone advising me on this matter (said "Don't mix coolant" and wasn't impressed with me stating use of Universal) and then saw when I looked up G-05 that it mentioned HOAT. No easy way to explain that except that it didn't register. Now it does.

The error, there, was with me. You did say that.

So. Now I'm thinking it should be flushed out.. if the operating theory is that G-05 HOAT does not play nice with Yellow Universal (pictured in previous posts, 50/50 mix with distilled water.)

I talked about that in Post #50 when I quoted the post after yours @D60

 

[97K15004WD]

schwinney, you changed your avatar! Anyway, shoot me a PM and tell me what you need and I'll send it to you! So far, I've used the dexcool on 3 GMs and I have 7 more cars to go. The universal is what I was going to put in the 93 Infiniti, 04 Nissan, and I'm waffling on the 97 Saturn on which to use.

For me at this point, I don't necessarily worry too much about the various coolants (BITOG Heresy!) as the cars are older and I change out the fluids "early" by manufacturer standards.

 

[97K15004WD]

Apparently it holds 11.6 quarts so basicly 3 gallons. So I've replaced approximately 1/3 of it. Think any damage occurred?

No, I doubt it. If it didn't "gel" up and turn to goo, it's most likely GTG.

I will defer to the experts here though, as I am a neophyte on antifreeze and it's bazillion different formulations.